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Monday, June 24, 2013

A Friend I Wish I Hadn't Lost

This blogger is very sad. On the night of June 13, I lost one of my most favorite people in the world, Kay Ten Kraft.

Some knitters may know her as the proprietor of Sliver Moon, a company that sold hand-dyed yarn at fiber festivals in the Northeast. She was a very friendly, compassionate, intelligent woman with a healthy sense of humor. She was deeply connected to her husband, children, step-children, grandchildren, friend and animals. I was just beginning to remember who everyone in her life were. We were not the closest of friends, but she made you feel important when she was talking with you.

I got to know Kay through her yarn. When I attended the first Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival, my eyes went right to the yarn pictured below and I think I grabbed it almost as quickly.

Kay said she had some colors left at the end of the day and dyed this. She called it "Spring Mist." I wanted to knit a vest out of it and Kay agreed to dye another hank. She left it at Wool 'n Word in West Sand Lake. That hank wasn't close at all. Stephanie said she could tell Kay it wasn't close, but I didn't think it was nice to keep her in the middle. I decided to talk to Kay directly. At about the same time I started going to Heritage Spinners at the Roaster's Whim in West Stephentown. I remember she brought more than one skein that she had dyed, maybe three, and I could chose what I wanted. The colors were a very close match. Then Kay realized that the number of repetitions wasn't the same and she wanted to do it over again. Having learned more about hand-dyed and similar yarn, I thought it was quite likely I'd have to alternate two balls anyway, so I managed to convince her it was fine. And it was. Here's proof:

It's still not finished, but Kay did see it knit.

I was looking through the photos on Kay's Facebook profile. I wonder how many other people remember people by their knitting projects as well. Seeing a photo of her wearing her completed purple sweater brought back happy memories of the group at Fred's. Knitting was only one of the things going on at the time. Our mutual friend Jackie called me to thank me for telling her about Kay. We talked about how yarns and projects we had would always help us to remember her.

I'd like to warn people not to let their ambitions or desires become so important to them that they endanger their lives. I'd much rather that Kay said the hell with it and decided to stay indoors on a rainy night and watch television, instead of going for a walk on a dark, rainy night in hopes of losing a little more weight. Instead she lost her life.

The proceeds from this drive will go to Dutchess Outreach to provide
items for their Food Pantry and the Lunch Box. Dutchess Outreach
strives “to meet the temporary, basic needs of families and individuals
when no other resources are readily available to them.” The Food Pantry
supplies 3 days worth of nutritious food for those in need. The Lunch
Box serves lunches and dinners for thousands of people throughout the
year.

This drive will honor the memory of Kay ten Kraft. Kay
was an avid knitter and fiber artist. She exhibited and sold her
beautiful hand-dyed yarns at the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival
in Rhinebeck as well as other Wool Festivals throughout the Northeast.
For many years Kay was actively involved at Freedom Plains Church and a
dedicated assistant at Hopewell Animal Hospital, as well as a member and
past President of the Hudson Valley Artisans Guild. A few years ago,
Kay and her husband Nicholas Adams relocated to a farm in Columbia
County, to be near family and tend to her sheep, goats and a menagerie
of animals.

Monetary Donations: Monetary donations will be used to serve a lunch
and dinner, in Kay’s memory, at the Lunch Box. Checks should be made
out to Dutchess Outreach Corporation with Kay ten Kraft in the memo.
Checks can be dropped off at the drive or sent to Nancy Townsend, 4
Tower Rd, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533.